Tension regulator



July 4, 1933. E. EGER TENSION REGULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledMargh 16,1928 m Vlr mm N M 8 N RN INVEg AR. BY 2 W v I ATTORNEY July 4-, 1933.EGER TENSION REGULATOR Filed March 16, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOPatented July 4, 1933 UNITED s'm'ras' PATENT OFFICE ERNST EGER, OFDETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN AND WRIGHT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN TENSION REGULATOR Application filed March 16,1928. Serial No. 262,163.

The present invention relates toa tension device of the automatic typeto provlde means for controlling the tension on fabrics and othermaterials as they are being run through tension of predetermined amountirrespective of the length or width of the material, to

' make it possible to procure the same tension 'on diiferentruns ofthematerial, and to provide easily adjustable means for varying thetension as for different material. Broadly speaking, the inventioncomprises a feeding mechanism for advancing a strip of material eitherto'or from a machine in which the material is being treatedand meanscontrolled by the tension on the strip for regulating the speed of thefeeding mechanism so that a uniform tension may be maintained ofpredetermined amount. The specific embodiment of the invention which hasbeen selected to illustrate the principles there,- of is shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is aperspective view and Fig. 2 is an enlargeddiagrammatical-view illustrating the electrical control. Referring tothe drawings, the tension device is mounted on a frame 5 of any suitabletype. The strip of fabric orother material 6 enters the tension devicein the direction indicated by the arrow and passes over an idler roll 7mounted on the top of the frame. It then passes downwardly under anidler roll 8 and upwardly and over the feeding roll 9, both of theserolls 8 and 9 being supported in suitable brackets 10 on the frame 5.After leaving the roll 9, the fabric passes around roll 11 and beneathroll 12.

The feeding roll 9 which advances the strip may be driven from anysuitable source of power but in the present embodiment it is operatedfrom an electric motor 13 mounted beneath the frame 5. This motor drivesa shaft 14 through the medium of the pulleys 15 and 16 and the belt 17.In order to permit the speed of the feeding roll 9 to be varied in themanner which will be presently described, a Reeves drive 18 is mountedon the frame 5 and operatively connects the shaft 14 with shaft 19. Thepower is transmitted from this shaft 19 to the shaft 20 on which theroll 9 is mounted through the medium of pulleys 21 and 22 and the belt23.

The construction of the Reeves drive 18 is so well known that it is notbelieved any detailed description thereof is necessary, but briefly itconsistsof a pair of oppositely disposed cones 24 and 25 on the shaft 14and a similar pair 26 and 27 on the shaft 19. In

each of these pairs, one of the cones is movable toward and from theother so as to provide a pulley ofadjustable diameter upon which travelsa belt 28 of the V-type the side faces of the belt being bevelled to fitthe corresponding conical faces of the cones 24 to27. The shafts 14 and19 are mounted in suitable bearings in a frame 29 secured on the mainframe 5. The cones 24 and 26 are longitudinally slidable on theirrespective shafts and are moved to or from the opposing cones by a lever30 which is fulcrumed at 31 on an arm 32 projecting inwardly from thefar side (Fig. 1) of the frame 29, the cone 24 being connected to thislever at 33 and the cone 26 at34. The end 35 of the lever 30 is providedwith an interiorly threaded sleeve which fits upon a correspondinglythreaded shaft 36 so that a rotation of this shaftcauses the end 35 ofthe lever to move lon itudinally of the shaft, the direction depen ingon the direction of rotation of such shaft. Thus it will be seen that amovement of this lever from the position indicated in Fig. 1 toward theopposite end ofthe shaft will cause the cone 26 to approach the cone 27and thus to increase the pulley diameter formed by these cones and onwhich the belt 28 travels. At the same time the movement of this leverin the manner described will cause the cone 24 to be moved away'from thecone 25 and the driven by the pulley 24-25 through the medium of thebelt 28, the reduction of the diameter of the latter and thecorresponding increase in the former will cause the shaft 19 to bedriven at a reduced speed which will be still further reduced as thelever moves on the shaft 36 in the direction indicated. Conversely, amovement of the lever 25 on the shaft 36 in the opposite direction'willcause the diameter of the pulley 24-25 to be increased and of the pulley26.27, equally decreased. This movement of the lever will thereforecause an increase in the speed of the shaft 19.

The shaft 36 is caused to rotate in one direction or the other by amotor 37 supported on a platform 38 on the frame 5, through the mediumof the worm 39, gear 40, shaft "41, sprocket 42, chain 43 and sprocket44. This motor 37 is of the reversible type.

The motor 37 is controlled by a switch 45 which is electricallyconnected thereto by means of a cable 46. In the present embodiment theswitch consists primarily of adjustable contacts 47 and 48 which areadapted to be engaged by a movable contact member 49 on the arm 50pivotally mounted on a shaft 51 supported in suitable brackets 52, 53 onthe frame 5. A flexible steel leaf 54 is provided at the end of this armto carry the actual contacts of the member 49, so that the arm 50 may bepermitted further movement in either direction after one of the contactson the leaf has come into contact with the corresponding contacts 47 or48.

The arm 50 in the present embodiment is formed on a bell crank or member55 which ispivotally mounted on the shaft 51. The

downwardly projecting arm 56 of the bell crank and a corresponding arm57 near the opposite endof the shaft 51 form a swinging support for theidler roll 11. The lateral arm 58 of the bell crank 55 is graduated anda weight 59 is slidable thereon as in a. regular weighing scale in orderto permit a measured tension of predetermined amount to be placed A onthe fabric strip 6 by the roll 11.- Stops as 60 may be provided to limitthe swinging movement of the arm 58 and therefore of the bell crank androll 11. A set screw as 61 locksthe weight 59 in its adjusted position.

The switch 45 is wired so that when the contact 49 is moved against thecontact 47, the motor 37 is caused to rotate in one .direction andsimilarly when this contact 49 moves against the contact 48 the motor iscaused to operate in the reverse direction. It will, of course, beobvious that the same action may be produced in various ways with anon-reversible motor as by merely a reversing ear and suitable magneticmeans for shifting the gear when contact is made in the switch.Mechanisms of this kind are so well known that any illustration of thesame is not deemed necessary.

different materials and forms of treatment.

These machines are generally provided with their own feeding mechanismfor conducting the material thereto, but if this material is drawndirectly from a supply roll, the tensionwill vary materially. Thiscondition iseliminated by the use of the feeding device forming thesubject matter of the present invention. As the strip of material isadvanced by the roll 9, it passes over the rolls Hand 12 in the manneralready described. Having first set the weight 59 on the arm 58 at theproper point as indicated by the graduations,

the bell crank 56 causes the roll 11 to be forced outwardly against theunder face of the fabricin the manner illustrated with the properpressure to rovide the required tension in the strip. 0 long as thestrip is advanced by the feeding roll 9 at the same speed that it isrequired by the treating machine, the roll will hold the switch 45 inits neutral position, or in other words, with the contact 49 out ofengagement with either of the contacts 47 or 48. If, on the other hand,the feeding roll 9 is driven by the motor at a speed in excess of thespeed of the feeding mechanism in the treating machine, the tension onthe strip between these two feeding means will diminish and the weight59 will cause the roll 11 to swing outwardly or, as viewed in. Fig. 1,in a clockwise direction.

This will bring .the contact 49 into engagement with the contact 48,closing the circuit and causing the motor 37 to rotate and diminish thespeed of the feeding roll 9 in the manner described. This motor 37 willcontinue to gradually decrease the speed of the feed mechanism untilsuch time as the two feed mechanisms are operating at the same speed or,in other words, until the proper tension is reached. Similarly, if thefeed mechanism in the treating machine is operatin more rapidly than thestrip isbeing advance by the feeding roll 9, the tension on the stripbetweenthe two feeding'devices will increase, the roll 11 will be movedinwardly by the pressure'on the fabric and the contact 49 brought intoengagement with the contact 47.

This will cahse the motor 37 to be drivenv in the opposite direction tothat just described and 48 are adjustable so that the limits ofvariation in tension may be accuratel fixed and normally thesevariations woul be so slight as tobe entirely immaterial. Thus it willbe seen that a uniform and measured ten, sion may be automaticallymaintained on the strip as it passes to the treating machine and thispermits difi'erent runs of the material to be subjected to the sametension by merely setting the weight 59 atthe same point on thegraduated scale. On theother hand, if a greater or less tension isdesired, the Wei ht may be shifted the proper amount to provide 1 this.

I am aware that the form and arrangement of the partsoof the device maybe very materially changed without departing from the spirit of theinvention and I reserve the right to make all such variations therein as'fairly fall1within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent is:

' I. The combination with a variable feed device including electricaloperating means,

of a bell crank having a depending arm and a lateral'arm, a rolljournalled in the free end oi the depending arm, means of adjustmentassociated with the lateral arm for measuring and varying the pressureof said roll sidewise against a substantially vertical stretch of movingstrip material, and contacts coacting with said bell crank to controlcircuits associated with said electrical means.

2.' The combination with a variable feed device including electricaloperating means, of a bell crank having a depending arm and a lateralarm, a-roll journaled in the free end of the depending arm, a scale onsaid lateral arm a weight adjustable along said lateral arm andcooperating with said scale to measure and to vary the pressure of saidroll sidewise against a substantially vertical stretch-- of moving stripmaterial, and contacts coacting with said bell crank to control circuitsassociated with said electrical means.

Signed at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, this 10th dayofMarch, 1928.

ERNST EGER.

